Dorothy Hopkins, 85, was shocked to find one of her cards had already been opened

12 March 2018

Great-grandmother Dorothy Hopkins was shocked at the Mother's Day card which has been scrawled on. Credit: Vagner Vidal/INS News Agency Ltd

by Neil Hyde

Great-grandmother Dorothy Hopkins received the most horrific Mother's Day card of all time.

As the 85-year-old opened the envelope from her daughter Mandy, the message inside described her as a "dirty old **".

Other obscenities, scrawled in black marker pen, screamed out "w**" and "bitch," leaving the mother-of-six in total shock.

On Monday, March 12 an investigation had been launched by the Royal Mail after it was believed the Mother's Day card from loving daughter Mandy had been intercepted by someone at the postal sorting office, who even changed the cheery sign-off message to say "hate you lots."

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"I am so shocked, I haven't been able to bring myself to read the message fully," said Mrs Hopkins at her home in Woodley, Berkshire.

"It is an absolute disgrace. If it was someone's idea of a joke, it was in terribly bad taste and has left me really upset. I have six children, eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren and I was really pleased to receive six Mother's Day cards - but I can only put up five because Mandy's has been defaced by someone at the Royal Mail.

"We have been in touch with the police and someone senior from the Royal Mail is coming to see me tomorrow," she added.

The mind-blowing Mother's Day card dropped on Dot's doorstep on Saturday morning and she was surprised to see that it was already open and the envelope was torn.

Great-grandmother Dorothy Hopkins was shocked at the Mother's Day card which has been scrawled on. Credit: Vagner Vidal/INS News Agency Ltd

"My grandson Steven Billington was at my house and after seeing the horrible message written inside, he chased after the postman who delivered it and confronted him with the envelope. The postie took photos of it on his phone and reported what had happened to his bosses.

"It must have been someone at the sorting office who opened the card and wrote the disgusting message. They even signed it as from 'the loving sorting office'," said Dot.

The full horrific message, in black ink, said: "I wanna go back to my birth hole spread em you dirty old **. From the loving sorting office. Best Mum in the world love hate you lots, Mandy. You w**. Suck my hairy sack you b**."

Mrs Hopkins revealed daughter Mandy had posted the card from Dorchester, Dorset on Friday and that it was believed it would have been sent to the sorting office in Swindon, Wiltshire and then on to the delivery office in Reading, Berkshire on Saturday morning.

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"Steven sent Mandy a picture of the defaced card and she was terribly angry and upset. The whole episode has cast a nasty shadow over Mother's Day," explained the upset great-grandmother.

"It may have been a prank but it is not funny and very distressing. I didn't sleep last night, worrying about it."

Daughter Mandy vowed to find out what had happened to her card.

"The Royal Mail staff are the only ones who handled the card before it went through my mother's front door," she said. "It's a bit disgusting - she is 85 years old.

"She shouldn't expect to have that sort of thing happen to her. There are six of us children and it's not every year she gets six cards. Now there is one she can't proudly display.

"The postman was taking photos of the offending card and apologising and saying he would contact the manager. But that's not good enough. We are not just going to accept an apology or whatever. I am so so angry.

"I just don't get the mentality of someone who can do that. And who knows, my mother's card may not have been the only one. Others might be opening their cards today and finding similar disgusting messages.

"To write all of that and to scribble out 'love' and put 'hate' instead - it's just not right really.

"We are waiting to see what the Royal Mail has to say about it and then, if we are not happy, we will get the police to investigate further. It is surely an offence to tamper with the mail."

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When asked for a response to the defaced Mother's Day card, a spokesman for the Royal Mail said: "We are very sorry to hear about this and the understandable distress that it has caused Mrs Hopkins.

"We are urgently investigating what has happened. It is a criminal offence to tamper with mail and anyone caught doing so will face serious disciplinary action.

"Royal Mail will always seek to prosecute the tiny minority of people who abuse their position of trust.

"The integrity, safety and security of mail is of the utmost importance to this business. Royal Mail will not allow the actions of any individual to damage the good reputation of our thousands of hard-working postmen and women, who do all they can to protect the mail and deliver it safely."